Song facts: Yer Blues

The Beatles recorded Yer Blues on August 13th 1968, for their forthcoming double LP commonly known as The White Album.

Yer Blues was written by John Lennon while on retreat in India studying transcendental meditation, and is testimony to the sheer range of musical styles to adorn the album.

Lennon described writing the song while he was feeling suicidal and searching for God. John recorded his vocals in what was essentially a closet in an Abbey Road control room; something evident after listening closely to the vocals.

"We had to fit all four of them in that tiny room and they literally couldn’t move. They had to find a position with their guitars and not move, or they would hit someone in the face or in the guitar. And that’s where we cut the track. So input came in a lot of different ways, and they were always up to trying anything new." - Ken Scott

Rock and Roll Circus Performance

On December 11th 1968, less than 1 month after The White Album's release, John Lennon recorded a performance of Yer Blues for The Rolling Stones' Rock and Roll Circus film. Filming took place at Stonebridge House in Wembley, London.

Lennon appeared with a makeshift band called The Dirty Mac, featuring Eric Clapton on lead guitar, Keith Richards on bass and Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience on drums.